


Sakura no Hana

by Say_It



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-27
Updated: 2015-03-27
Packaged: 2018-03-19 20:03:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3622488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Say_It/pseuds/Say_It
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka felt the small warm spot that lay dormant in his chest all these years slowly unfurl - not unlike a Sakura blossom would come spring. It was only then that he finally recognized what it was that had long ago wormed it's way into his heart and taken root. </p><p>He was in love.</p><p> </p><p>(Or the story following the blossoming of first love from its fateful beginning.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sakura no Hana

**Author's Note:**

> Taking this plot bunny for a spin. I wrote the first chapter when the first season came out and I've been kinda mulling over whether or not to post this for a while now... So after revisiting it last night, I've decided to post it and see how it goes. Not gonna lie, I'm not the most punctual updater, but I'll try my best if y'all take a liking to it. Also, I did some minor research about Sakura blossoms and Japanese school systems, but I got bored so I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies. Oh, in case you missed the tag, this story takes place in an alternate canon universe. If that makes any sense. Kinda sounds like an oxymoron. Huh.
> 
> Well, anyways... enjoy!

_**kaika – first blossoming** _

 

_**Part One** _

 

Outside the elementary school stood a giant cherry tree with branches that stretched from side to side as if they were open arms awaiting the warmth of a lover’s embrace. The gnarled branches hung over the side of the outdoor pool that was still drained and covered with a plastic tarp. The tips of the branches were tinted with little buds of white, their petals slowly unfurling to reveal edges of light pink.

 

The chain-link fence leading to the pool suddenly rattled, and the quiet was disrupted with the squeak of rusty hinges and the sound of little feet pattering across the concrete pavement.

 

“It bloomed a whole month earlier this year!” Makoto chirped, halting in front of the towering tree and staring up in quiet wonder. “It’s the first sign of spring,” he said, smiling genially at the boy a little ways behind him. “Isn’t it beautiful, Haru-chan?”

 

The boy in question merely shrugged, small lips emitting a quiet sigh. “It’s fine,” Haruka replied shortly and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his puffy blue jacket.

 

Makoto smiled at him before turning away once more and spoke a jumble of words Haruka didn’t bother giving heed. Every breath short from excitement, Makoto continued to feverishly point out the blossoming buds.

 

Haruka sighed and walked under the tree at Makoto’s urging, staring up in a disinterested manner. It didn’t matter, Haruka decided, whether the cherry tree bloomed early or late; spring would still arrive as it always had.

 

* * *

 

With the end of spring break, a new school year had begun to unfold. The month of April brought light rains and cool winds that scattered pink petals along the sidewalk. On the first day of school, Haruka woke an hour earlier than his alarm clock. Unable to fall back asleep, he eventually dressed himself and quietly headed downstairs, careful not to wake his parents. Backpack on his shoulders and warm toast in hand, he locked the front door behind him and took his usual route toward school. Little bits of gravel crunched beneath his sneakers as he made his way down the sloping street, the familiar swimming club just around the curb. Once it came into view, he stopped in his tracks, his stoic eyes flitting up at the colorful murals decorating the building. With the approach of warmer weather, he was grateful for the upcoming opportunity to swim outside for a change. Picking up his pace once more, he managed to arrive at the school’s gate even before Makoto, much to the latter’s surprise.

 

“We have the same class again, Haru-chan!” Makoto smiled as they arrived at their new classroom.

 

Haruka glanced at his excited friend and gingerly took the desk next to him, setting his book bag by his feet. He half-listened to Makoto’s animated chatter as the other students began to file into the classroom. When the teacher finally arrived, the class stood in unison and greeted her, the polite mantra already routine.

 

“Class,” the teacher began once everyone had settled down. “We have a transfer student who will be joining us for your last year of elementary school.”

 

As if summoned, the classroom door slid open at the exact moment of introduction, and a boy sauntered in next to the teacher’s podium, his face adorned with a lazy grin.

 

The first thing that Haruka noticed was the way the boy held himself. He looked completely at ease in his new surroundings; every inch of him seemed to ooze confidence. He had a head full of messy hair, an unusual shade of burgundy that matched perfectly with his deep red eyes. With his languid arms tucked into his deep sweatshirt pockets and long legs clad in tartan print, he looked impossibly cool.  

 

“I’m Matsuoka Rin,” he said. Even his voice seemed to carry a musical quality. "My name's kinda girly, but I'm totally a guy." He flashed them a wide smile. "It’s nice to meet you. From today on, I’ll be in your care.”

 

The boy had managed to spark everyone’s curiosity. Haruka could hear hushed whispers all around him. There had never been a transfer student before as far any of them could remember.

 

“Matsuoka-kun, why don’t you take the empty seat behind Nanase-kun?” The teacher showed Rin the seating chart, pointing to a blank square on the page.

 

“Okay.” He nodded and strolled down the aisle, stopping briefly next to Haruka’s desk before sliding in the seat behind him.

 

“All right class! I’ll be taking role call now,” the teacher said cheerily, beginning to call students’ names.

 

For the rest of the day, Haruka found himself distracted, unable to concentrate on his class material. The boring drone of his teacher’s voice was drowned out by the constant _tap, tap_ of Rin pencil against his desk.

 

* * *

 

On the third day since the addition of Rin to his class, a usually quiet girl, whose seat was a row over from Haruka’s, leaned in and started conversing with Rin during their English lesson. Haruka, without the intent of eavesdropping, overheard the majority of their conversation.

 

“Matsuoka-kun, are you done with your English worksheet already?” asked the girl, surprise evident in her voice.

 

Rin’s pencil stopped tapping against his desk. “Yea, do you need any help?”

 

Haruka could hear her shift in her desk, and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted her embarrassment.

 

“Yes, thank y-you, Matsuoka-kun.”

 

After a few moments of scribbling on paper, Rin handed her assignment back to her. “You did pretty well. You just switched the vocabulary for the last two sentences.”

 

“W-wow!” she exclaimed breathlessly, blush coloring her cheeks. “Thank you, Matsuoka-kun!”

 

“No problem.”

 

Haruka didn’t need to turn around to already know the boy was smiling. The desk behind him shifted, briefly digging into his back, but he paid it no mind. Instead, he willed himself to focus on his own worksheet, but found himself drifting towards their conversation once again.

 

“Matsuoka-kun, how are you so good at English?” the girl asked again.

 

“I lived in Australia for a while.”

 

“Eh?! Really? That is so cool!”

 

Haruka stopped listening as the girl began fawning over the occupant in the seat behind him. He stared at his workbook, the endless sea of foreign words swimming across his eyes.

 

* * *

 

Rin had a group of admirers surrounding his desk during their free lunch period. They bombarded him with questions of Australia, though they were all answered with equaled enthusiasm. Haruka wouldn’t have cared had his seat been farther away, but his classmates kept bumping into his desk as they crowded closer to Rin.

 

He sighed, propping his head upon his elbow as another student squeezed himself closer to Rin. Makoto was assigned lunch duty that day, helping the teacher pass out the bentos. Haruka suddenly felt extremely bored without his friend.

 

“Matsuoka-kun!” A girl abruptly jostled her way past his desk, causing his pencil case to clatter onto the hardwood floor under Rin’s desk. “Ah!” She turned around and looked at Haruka apologetically. “I’m sorry Nanase-kun!”

 

“It’s fine.” Haruka muttered, bending over to reach his fallen possession. Instead, Rin had already done so and handed him the long tin box, a wide smile on his face.

 

“I like your pencil case, Nanase.”

 

Haruka felt uncomfortable, everyone’s gaze suddenly upon him, and took his case without another utterance. He started to turn around when he was stopped by a warm hand gripping his shoulder. Rin had reached over his desk and grabbed him, the strands of his messy hair falling forward and framing his face.

 

“I really do,” Rin insisted, still smiling, though it was smaller and more genuine. “The dolphin on the back is really cool.”

 

Haruka stared at him blankly as if he were in a daze. Finally he murmured thanks and turned away. He felt weirdly awkward, a feeling he was unaccustomed to. Even when he left to join Makoto on the other side of the room, he couldn’t help but sneak glances at Rin.

 

And for some inexplicable reason, he felt Rin must have been sneaking glances at him too.

 


End file.
